ig  ignition  apparatus



showing a form of the present; invention.

i ,tion withthe engine crankcase.

Patented Mar. 26,v 1935 i i idNi'rioN ArrAaA-Tns 'I KA"Charles HallDavis, Jr., Andersomilnd., assigner, by mesne assignments, to` GeneralMotors Corlporation,lDetrciig Mich., a corporation ofDelaware f,

f Appiicatienrune [26, iesnseriai No.; Massi .3 creams.4 (chiss-14st 'fThis invention relates toignition apparatus 'for internal combustionengines, and one of theolo- 'ects` is .to provide. Vignition "apparatusrequiring less frequentv renewal of spark plugs. A further object ofvthe present,` invention'isftoprovide certain improvements inignitioziapparatus for relative high speed Ainternal, combustion` engines. Theseobjects are accomplishediinfthedisclosed forms of the inventionbythe-.use of `a plurality of ignitionV coils which` are alternatelycharged and ydischarged;througlithe y'operation of. timed circuitbreakers operated by afcamdriven. at onehal'f engine speed for a twovcycle engine, or onefourth; engine speedfor ,ay lfour cyclerengin'e sothat a series of sparking impulses are produced vbyy y alternatelycdisch-arging vthe ignition. coils. These impulses are distributed to;the various spark plugs ofthe engine `through-ar pluralityl ofdistributing 4circuits, which f are alternately.r operati-veto etectdistribution. ,Inthe disclosed form of the'inventionthelenginecylindersaare provided eachwith two spark plugs sothat the engine may.-

bensaid to have two series of,4 spark plugs. The distributing of `the'sparking impulsesis such that,

during onecycle of engine operation, ori-@series engine the other seriesoperates. In other words the spark plugs are used in two alternatelyoperating series to fire the engine.

Further objects andadvantages of Athe present invention will be apparentfromthe following description, reference ybeing had to the accompanyingdrawing wherein a preferred embodiment` of one form of the presentinvention is clearly shown. yIn the drawing: .y Y The iigureofthe'drawing'A isa wiringdiagram I Referring to the drawing, variousengine cylinders designated by I to ,VIy respectivelyare arranged inrin'gvorder in the drawing but not necessarily in the lorder ofmechanical connec- Each cylinder is provided with two sparkl plugs, forexample,

#I'is provided with sparkr plugs lasand 1b. The various spark plugs areconnected with distributor inserts or terminal posts 21,. For example,spark plug 1a is connected with post 21#1a, and

spark plug 1b is connected with terminal post.

21#1b, these posts being diarnetrically'opposite.

The other spark plugs are connected ina similar' thereto. rotatesclockwise is in such position that ther engine and carryingjtwoyinsulated Adistributing arrnsf23 and 24 whichvare atall timeslinContact fietser? with. stationary distributorv terminals 25 land. 26respectively, thcilattervbeing inftheiorni oiga n ring. The members 25andA 26 alternately receive sparkingzimpulsesfrom ignition coils 30 and46 having.seccndariesY 31and `4lrespectufely conf f nected with-members25.and 26 and having` pri,v

maries '32 and'42 connectedl respectivelywith terrespectively vpvotedat'35a`and45a and-carrying q contacts 36 andk 46 engageabletrespectively withf grounded contacts 37 and A47. The `pair Aofcontactsf36 -37 is shunted-by.ajcondenser 38and the pair `of 'contacts46,V 47 is shunted by a condenser' 48..` The flevers 3 5 and -45 carryrespectively rubbine' blocks f .3 9. and 49. Weicher@ engaged' by a;

cam 50 carried by the engine drivenlshaftg22; 'Ihejprimary coils'32 and42fare-connected tby a` switch 51'y with -a battery 52 l groundedlyat5,3;

, The cam `5i) rotates at one-half engine].speedl for atwo cycle .engineor ations-fourth enginel speed. yfor a fourcycle enginetoefiectthegalternate: closingfandopening ci .thc-pairs o f.ftirnericontacts to effect the valternate charging. andl discharging of thecoilsand 40. During each '7.

revolution of the shaftof a two cycle engine or 'Y each two revolutionsof a four cycle enginefthc cam 50 makes a half turn and each coil willbe 'discharged three times making a total of six sparking impulses.During one revolution of the shaft vof a two cycle engine or each tworevolutions of al four cycle engine,the series of engine yplugs 111v2a., 3a, 4a, 5a and 6a lwill provide "the gaps' 'for' the Vjump of thesparking impulses delivered It will be noted that the cam 50 whichcontacts 36 and' 37 have just separated. Therefore a sparking impulsewill have been generated'. in the coil 36 and delivered from thesecondary" l thereof to the central contact 25, thence through thedistributing segment'23 to post 21,#111l and then to spark plug la ofcylinder 20,#1. During the following increments each of one-twelfthrevolution of the distributor segments 23,r 24 in a clockwise'direction, the coil 40v will be discharged and the sparking impulseAtherefrom will be conducted through contact ring. 26 andl segment 24 todistributor post 2a,V and then. to spark plug 2a `of engine cylinder20#II.

distributes a sparking impulse from the coil `to post 21#4a, thensegment 23 distributes a' sparking impulse from coil 30 to post 31#5aand then segment 24 distributes asparking impulse from` coil 40 to post211ffr6a V Thus it is apparent that the series of plugs, v1a, 2a, 3a,4a, 5a, an'da "receive sparking impulses from alternatelydischargedignition coils v30 and 40 during one revolution `of the engine shaftfora two cycle engine or during two revolutions vof the shaft yof a fourcycle engine.- During the -following revolue tion of the shaft of a twocycle engineer during 'the following two revolutions of the sh'aftfof vafour cycle engine, .the series ofvspark plugsv 1b, 212,317, 4b, 5b, and6b receive-,the next six'sparking impulses produced by the alternatelydis-f' charged coils 30 and* 40; It will be apparent that during thisnext rotation` of the `engine shaft, -v

segment 23 will conduct, a i sparking impulse vfrom Couso to post21#1`b, thensegmentV 2.4 winconduct a sparking impulse from coil 40 topostr 12,1#211 Then segment'23 Vwill 'conductl a sparking impulse `fromcoil 30. to post 21#.3b,thenfseg ment 24 `will conduct a sparkingimpulse from coil 40 to post 21#4b. Next,segm'ent 23 will 'conduct` fABy providing coils alternately discharged through the agency -oflalternately operated circuit breakers operated' each by `a cam rotatingignition apparatus since two Sets of alternatevat one-halfengine speedfor atwo cycle engine por at one-fourth engine 'speed for a four cycleengine, it is apparent-that satisfactory Vignition can be provided foreither a two cycle ora four cycle internalv combustion engine v"o'perza,ted' at relative high speed. d 'f A further advantage is that thespark plugs will lastlonger than in conventional forms of ly operatedspark plugs are provided. f

While the form of embodiment of the present vinvention ashereindisclosed constitutesv a pre-- ferred form, it is to bevunderstood thatother Vforms, might be adopted, all coming within the`scope of the-claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. Ignition apparatus for an internal combustion engine comprising, incombination means for` generating a i seriesr of.sparking impulses,

sparking devices-With theengine cylinders, `each f cylinder having avpluralityof insulated sparking" device terminals thus providing`thejcylinders,u 'l collectively, with a plurality'oi' series of,insulated sparking `device terminals,` and means for distributingsparking impulses to one series of spark- `ing device'terminals duringone cycle of `enginel l' l operation, andv toA another series during Vafollowingcycle'. I Y, l 4, Y

2'. Ignition apparatus for an internal combustion engine comprising,` incombination, means for generating a series of vsparking impulses]spark-- ing `.devices with the engine. cylinders, each cylin- 'derhaving axplurality of 'spark'plugs each'of` which has oneinsulated'terminal thus providing the cylinders, collectively, with faplurality of seriesj of 'insulated spark plug'V terminals, and

means' for distributing sparking impulses to lone series of sparkingplug terminals duringvone-cycle of engine operation and to' anotherseries'during a following cycle.. i" f 1 '1 3. Ignition apparatus forianinternal combustion engine having N" cylinders comprising, incombinatiom sparking devices forlthe cylinders' each cylinder `havingtwo insulated sparkingdevice terminals,A rneansfor generating vsparkingkimpulsesand comprising two' ignition coils, two, y

circuit interrupters respectively, for controllng the coils, a camhaving Nlobes foroperatingthe interrupters alternately,v said cam ,beingAdriven at one-half engine "speed for a. two-cycle engine oi atone-fourth engine speed for a'fourcyelel engine, andmeans fordistributing thesparking impulsesv and cfmiprising two distributingsegments'rotating at interrupter lcam speed and ai g head having acircular row cnf-2N posts connected respectively with the insulatedsparking device`

